Entrepreneurship

KennaDee has become our little entrepeneur.  She always wants to take our kid table and chairs outstide and have something for sale for the community.  It's been lemonade twice and this last week she decided to sell her "art." She made these beautiful art pieces.  As soon as she finished all them, she said, "mom - I think people will want to buy my drawings."  I said, "I bet they would!" So away she went with her procedure.  As she came back in, she reported that she had sold 2 paintings for a quarter.  (Before she went out, she was gonna sell them for $1 a piece.) I guess she negotiated.  She then changed her prices: one for a nickel, two for a quarter and three for a dime.  Brian and I started laughing and she immediately said, "wait wait wait. No - one for a nickel, two for a dime, three for a quarter." LOVE that girl! Here's a sample:

Now - keep in mind - she sold her best ones already.

Looking back

So last weekend, an old friend from Highschool came into town and I was able to spend a little time with her.  On my way over to visit her at the house she was staying in, I started thinking.... What would have happened to our friendship had I not joined the church?  She was not a member and I had joined the church a year after highschool.  After I had joined, unforunately, I had to break away from the group because the lifestyle I once led, was too tempting to follow.  So I started thinking, I wonder if we would have been closer had I not broke away.  Had I not decided to move out of the apartment, would I have been invited to their bachlorette parties and their weddings?  Would I have received their baby announcements?  Would we still be good friends to this day? I started feeling sad that I was the only one in our group of friends that was not invited to those things.  As I shared this with Brian, he said, "you can't look at it that way though, Shara. Think of all the good friends and blessings you have now because you DID move out.  I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "I guess."  Having friends is important to me and knowing that I'm not close with them anymore...hurts.
I ended up having a great time with them and am glad we were able to talk. However, I still left that night wondering.

Then Sunday came - Thanks goodness for Sundays!! Two of my friends sang this BEAUTIFUL song.  They are my 2 favorite female voices (other than my moms) that I LOVE to hear sing together. The spirit is always so strong when they sing and....I don't even know how to describe it. It's just beautiful.  Anyhow - the song they sang was, Power of Heaven.

These are the lyrics they sang:
Heaven's light flows through the windows
Warming even walls of stone
In the refuge of the temple
I find strength beyond my own

I can feel the power of heaven
As I stand on holy ground
And the spirit whispers what I long to learn
Eyes are touched with understanding
I can see beyond this world
Its the place I reach for heaven
And it reaches in return

Filled with purpose, filled with power
Granted gifts to lift the world
In Gods house and in His presence
I am filled with strength to serve

It's the place I reach for heaven
And it reaches in return


This was a testimony and an answer to me.  This is why I broke away.  Although I still hurt at times because of lost friendships, the blessings of the temple strongly outweigh anything and everything. I am grateful for the membership I have in my church and the many blessings it brings me.  Yes - there are things that I sacrifice but....sacrifice brings greater blessings.

Thankful

The other day, my two sons and I were running a few errands.  We drove by a homeless woman.  She was standing on the corner of the street, as they often do, holding a sign that said, "homeless, please help." It's hard to know when they are really homeless or are just looking for money.  I guess that part is not ours to judge but to give regardless of what they do with it. Anyway.  We drove passed her and as I continued to watch her, we drove through the light.  I couldn't stop thinking about her so we flipped around and drove down the same street.
I told Jackson to grab one of our "needy" bags.  (For a church activity, we had assembled several homeless goody bags to hand out as we see them in the streets.  They have food, drinks, sanitary items, pamphlets of where to go for help, etc.) We have about 4 of them in our car.  He quickly grabbed one and hopped to the other side of the car so he could hand it to her through the window.  We pulled up to her, rolled the window down, and Jackson said, "excuse me." She turned, took the bag, and replied, "thank you." She then set it down on the ground and continued to walk up and down the street.  As I watched her through my side view mirror and as I watched Jackson watch her, I started to tear up.  I thought of what kind of life she might have and what kind of life I have.  I began to thank my Heavenly Father above for all the blessing and luxuries I enjoy.  My car, my children, my home, my food, my parents, my husband, my husbands job, my membership in the church, my friends that so often help me. The list could go on and on. My bed. The warmth I feel in my home, etc. I'm grateful for ALL the choices I have made in my lifetime to get me where I am today.  I know that every choice we make today will determine our tomorrows.
What made this experience even better was that when Jackson sat back down, he was smiling.

General Conference 2012

Every 6 months, we have the privilege of hearing from our 12 apostles, prophet, and other auxiliary leaders from the Church.  In April and October, on the first Saturday and Sunday of the month, we watch a broadcast shown throughout the world.  Anyone can listen and/or watch it.  They give such great counsel to us especially in the times we are living.
In the past, my children have just colored, played with their toys, etc while we watched.  However, now that they are getting a little older, it's a littler harder to keep them entertained so... I found some great ideas on pinterest this year that I wanted to try out.

First - I created a bag for each of the 12 apostles and then one for each member of the First Presidency (the Prophet and his 2 counselors). Each bag had a different activity in it.  When that person got up to speak, they were able to grab that specific bag and work on that activity until the next speaker.  Each speaker addresses up for 10-20 minutes.  This worked pretty well.  The only thing that didn't work is that they got so excited about getting the next activity that we always missed the first few minutes of the talk because the kids were talking about the activity, explaining to each other how to do it and rustling the bag around.  That's okay - always room for improvement.  However, while they were doing the activity - it was good.  Successful.

Our second tradition we started is having little candy dishes.  Each dish, as you can see, were marked with different words.  Every time they heard one of those words, they could pick that candy.  This was very successful.  It helped the children listen more.  There were still many that they missed but...I'm okay with that...especially this time around because every dish was LOADED with sugar.  You know what happens after 2 days filled with sugar and expected to just sit?  Yeah - towards the end of the last session on Sunday, the kids were D.O.N.E.  Done!
Nicholas was so funny with this one.  Anytime he saw the kids go for candy, he would jump down, run over, grab the piece of candy, hold it up and grin like he just won something.  It was soo cute!!
Next time  - - we will find something else besides candy though.  :)


Now - - for the FOOD traditions we started.  We made Cafe Rio's taco salad for lunch.  It was sooo scrumptious! Then for the second session, we were still full from lunch so we had crackers, cheese, meat, strawberries and grapes.  The cheese and grapes together? Hmmm...good.  Now I understand why people like the wine and cheese tastings. HA! By the time I remembered to take a pic, the kids had gobbled up half the strawberries.  That fruit does not last long in our house.

Now - Brian and I wanted to sleep in a bit on Sunday - since we didn't have to get up to go to church, so we sent to kids down to get their own breakfast.  KennaDee has done a great job with this before so we trusted her to help the younger ones.  Well...when I got up, came downstairs - I found this.  

I asked what happened and KennaDee and Jackson, of course, both said, "It was Nico." We hear that statement A LOT.  And that's an understatement.  Poor Nico - he always gets the blame.  However, in the case - I do think it was him.  Look how he managed to fill it all the way to the RIM!!  Talented kid, I tell ya.  

I guess that's what happens when you try and sleep in. 

General Conference was amazing as always and we received much guidance, revelation, and inspiration from our Heavenly Father.  With the activities we did, the kids are looking forward to the next time. If you didn't get a chance to listen and or watch, you can go to www.lds.org and there is a link there that says, "Watch General Conference Now."  Then you can choose to watch it or just listen to it.  Soon they will have it so you can read it.  

It was a great weekend!

Recap of Summer 2012

 Now that I have more time on my hands, I can update our blog more frequently.....hopefully....that's my goal anyway.

So here's a refresher of some of the fun things we have done over the summer.
Slip 'n Slidin', swimming, and hiking.

Nico got tired of it pretty quickly and really wanted me to just hold him.....hmmm.....nothing new I guess.  If you can't tell - he was pulling on my suit.  

The boys loved this slide.  Nicholas, at first would just climb the stairs to the top - look out among the crowd, then go back down the stairs. Eventually he worked up the courage to slide down and LOVED it!! Jackson spent majority of his time on this slide as well.  He looks like a pro doesn't he?

KennaDee and Parker.....need I say more?

HA!! This picture cracks me up.  Doesn't he look like an old man....chowin' down? Look at that potbelly!! Who says my baby is malnourished.....I think not.   :) 

Doing activities with friends always seems more fun for the kiddos.  They all did so well on this hike.  Better than the mommies I think.  But let that be our secret.

We also went to the parks with friends.  Which never seems to get old to the kiddos.  Nor does it for me.  I love watching my children interact with others.

This is Nico's way of showing us his hands are dirty.  He was pretty proud of the sand on his hands.  

This equipment was new to the park and the kids loved it!  As you went across it, it would move up and down.  As you can see on their faces, it was moving at the time and they were trying not to fall off.  Surprisingly enough, we went home without any injuries.

Among all our summer fun this year, our best times were spending time with the family.  Brian made a tire swing for us in the back yard and the kids really enjoy it.  I understand why Heavenly Father put us in families.  There are so many blessings, so much understanding, service, love, empathy, compassion.  So many opportunities to see and understand how Christ really was.  Look at those precious faces!!

I LOVE this picture.  So cute. 

Another reason why He put us in families - - so we can be ourselves, be crazy, and not worry about what the others are thinking.  There's absolutely no judging. 

What a blessing these children are to me.  Can't imagine my life without them.  Love you kiddos!

Finally Updated the layout!!

What do you think?


Stay tuned for the posts.....